1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to an electronic mail system, and more particularly to an electronic mail system enhanced with voice conference call communications capabilities.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic mail (e-mail) systems have become a fixture of current computer communications technology. E-mail provides a low cost, efficient, and effective means for exchanging text messages between sending and recipient nodes. Conventional e-mail messages typically are contained in electronic documents which can be transmitted from a sending mail server to a recipient mail server. In particular, the sending node can create and appropriately format an e-mail and transmit the e-mail to a specified mail server. The mail server can examine the contents of the e-mail to determine to whom the e-mail should be forwarded. Subsequently, the e-mail can be transmitted to a mail server associated with the intended recipient node.
Once the e-mail has been successfully transmitted to the recipient mail server, the recipient mail server can store the received e-mail typically in an electronic “inbox”. Subsequently, the intended recipient node can retrieve the e-mail from the mail server on demand. Once retrieved, the contents of the e-mail can be revealed through the presentation of the e-mail message text to the recipient. Additionally, other information contained in the e-mail such as the identity of the sender, the subject of the e-mail message, and the date and time when the e-mail had been transmitted also can be presented to the user. Hence, conventional e-mail messages can contain not only message text, but also message header information.
Conventional e-mail systems also can support the exchange of e-mail attachments. Attachments are electronic files such as images, documents or binary objects which can be attached to an e-mail and transmitted therewith from a sender to a recipient. Attachments can be embedded in a labeled section of an e-mail such that an e-mail client processing the e-mail can identify the presence of an attachment and can decode the contents of the attachment so that the attachment can be further processed by the recipient node. Consequently, attachments can enhance the utility of exchanging e-mail.
Still, e-mail and e-mail attachments are not always an adequate replacement for live voice conversations between two parties, especially where extensive interaction between the participants is necessary or desirable. In some instances, such conversations are necessary to explain or discuss the message text included in the e-mail, attached documents, or audio/visual files. Moreover, a telephone sometimes is not available to the parties, or the use of a telephone requires lengthy dialing procedures which can interrupt the spontaneity of the communication. Sometimes telephone access by the parties requires that at least one of the parties terminate an on-line connection to the Internet, which further can disrupt the process of discussing the contents of an e-mail.
The aforementioned difficulties can be further exacerbated when more than two parties are involved within a given e-mail communication chain. The serial nature of e-mail communications can result in redundant e-mail forwarding of existing messages to parties in an effort keep each party fully apprized of developments. Moreover, use of e-mail with more than two parties can result in unnecessary communication delays. For example, an e-mail containing important data can be routed to several different parties before ultimately reaching the proper party.